Lighting strikes the basilica of St. Peter's dome

Lighting strikes the basilica of St. Peter's dome earlier this evening during a storm that struck Rome on the same day Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation

PAKISTANI MUSLIM Muhammad Ayub accepts LORD JESUS CHRIST as Loving GOD

Pakistani Muslim Muhammad Ayub converts to Christianity - becomes Ayub Masih (Urdu for Christ)


Converted from Islam receiving threats from extremists that they will kill them and their families.He has received threatening letters from different Islamic Organizations, told Ayub to LEAD. He also added that his meetings were conducted with different Christians organizations and with foreign delegations but not a single one helped us

Ayub Masih has come to LEAD office and told his story of conversion from Islam to Christianity. He also said how he had spent his four years in Christian faith. He is living in hidden. He has no job or any kind of work for earning his livelihood. He added ” I and my wife are satisfied that we have Jesus in our lives “.


Muhammad Ayub (Christian name Ayub Masih):


Family Back Ground:

I have four sisters and one brother ,my father was died in 1996 and my mother is alive. My family belongs to tribe of Jutt (tuddy). I was married in 1998. I have two children one son and daughter. My son is 11 years old and my daughter is 4 years old. My family is learned family and have well knowledge of religion.


How I accepted Christianity:

I was working in Sahiwal as cable net work as a recovery in-charge. Some Muslims Colleagues told me that there was one Muslim who accepted Christian religion and denounced Islam. I was surprised and as well as shocked to know this story of conversion from Islam to Christianity. I told that informer that I wanted to meet him face to face.  My message was conveyed to that person. The person who accepted Christian religion his name was Zubair Shah and after accepting Jesus his name was changed as Emmanuel Shah. Emanuel Shah was reluctant to meet me and in this way four months passed away. After making satisfaction that I was not going to create any problem for him then he was ready to meet me in person and willing to talk with me. I had asked some questions to Shah sahab that why you had changed his religion and how you changed his religion which was the surety of Paradise.

I put many questions regarding his conversion from Islam and tried to reconvert him towards Islam. He never ever tried to influence me towards Christian religion that I would accept Jesus Christ. One day he gave me Holy Bible for reading but I returned him saying that I did not know any thing about Bible. I asked him that If you made me satisfied from Holy Quran then I would accept. One my this question he gave me many references from Holy Bible regarding the personality of Jesus Christ and references about earlier Holy Books. He gave me Bible and told me to read it you would find all answers of your questions. I read the Bible and read Quranic references about Jesus and Mary. I made comparison of different topics such as Day Of Judgement, Salvation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ , while comparing Bible and Quran I found that Jesus Christ had the all Authorities. This was my turning appoint towards Christianity.


How I was baptized:

I was under pressure while I changed my mind to accept Jesus because of Apostasy and fear of killing and other problems from Muslims. At the end I put all my worries on God thinking that God would guide me through dream what is right for me and what is wrong? I had a dream and saw that my father , who died 18 years ago, was sitting on the bench of Church and asked me that why you had not swept and cleaned the Church. I was satisfied that Jesus had given this Good News to my father and this was my encouragement to accept Jesus Christ. I told to Shah sahab about this and he gave me the reference of Pastor Munir Phool and he baptized me.


How My wife came to Jesus:

I often read Bible and my wife often asked many questions about Bible why I read this Book. One day I shared with her about my accepting of Christian Religion. My wife told that did you know that after doing this our relationship as husband and wife would be dissolved. I shared that all my matters and problems I had put on God , He would guide me what I had to do. We both spent that night in silence and on morning she told that what you had done you should have not to show and tell any body. This was between you and your God. In this way we spent one year. We both did not force each other regarding religion. After one year she showed her interest in Christianity and shared with me that she also wanted to accept Jesus Christ. In this way she was also baptized by Pastor Munir Phool. We both willing to get baptized of Children too but Pastor told that Children would be baptized when they would be matured.


How my family came to know about our new life in Jesus:

After our baptism, Mr. Emmanuel Shah shared with some Christians families about our conversion from Islam to Christianity.The news about this conversion spread within our area and locality during this my family also came to know about our conversion. My brother asked me about this conversion and I told him truth.I also started to preach him ,he became agree to accept Jesus Christ on our exchange of conversation, but he shared with our brother in law and after that he retracted from conversion.


Threats and hardships which I and my family suffered:

I had received many threats from family members and also boycotted from my family. They also kicked out from my house and also deprived of from my father’s property. In this way many Muslims came to know all this story of my conversion.I received many unknown phone calls and warned to accept again Islam otherwise i would be killed. I also received some threatening letters from different Islamic organizations. One night we were sitting in street because the light was broke down and weather was hot. Two men on motor bike came to our house and one of then said that this was the man who was sitting and the other one who was at the back of bike sitting fired at me, I was luckily saved but they thought that i had hit by fire and they ran away. After this incident we were very scared and fearful which is still going on.

I got into contact with Sohail John by Pastor Munir Phool. I told him all this incident and my problems which I and my family is facing until now. They have arranged many meetings with different foreigners and told them our problems which we were facing due to our Christian faith. He has not helped me and supported me until now.


My request to LEAD:
I request LEAD , please help me and my family and save our lives. I will be very thankful.


- LEAD is a Pak Christian relief, development and advocacy organization


SOURCE:
http://persecutedchurch.info/2013/01/31/paks-double-standard-a-converts-interview/

Jan2013 - Healing Masses - Sydney - Faith Comes from what is heard - Rom 10:17

SYDNEY - HEALING MASSES - JAN 2013

Let's continue with the Christmas Joy - EVERY day of our life and not just on 25th December.

ALL WELCOME TO ATTEND.  Please spread the message to those in the surrounding areas as per scheduled dates and the Church.

Healing is understood not in the narrow sense of bodily well-being, but as the love of God flowing into the brokenness of man to make him whole.

The Healing Masses begin with the joyous proclamation of the forgiveness and salvation of the Heavenly Father, who "so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Salvation in Jesus is experienced through a radical turning away from sin and turning to God in repentance. This offer of salvation was the first message preached by Jesus Christ as well. "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Matt 4:17). 

 

In the Sacrament of Confession, the faithful are convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:8), their sins forgiven by the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:8), in the power of the same Holy Spirit through the ministry of the Church (Jn 20:22-23), and given a share in the victory of Jesus over sin (Jn 16:11).

From the resulting radical conversion, people are led to total self-surrender, that results in an intimate union with Jesus in the Holy Spirit, as experienced in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (Jn 6:56). In this intimacy, the love of God is "poured into their hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Rom 5:5). The heart melting under this overwhelming outpouring of love, opens up in turn to love and forgive everyone.

This intense experience of love heals all wounds and soothes all the strains in family relationships. The bond of marriage is renewed as sacrament of grace is incorporated into the spousal relationship between Christ and His Church.

 In this powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing stronger (Acts 19:20)

On 26th Dec, 2012 - Celebrating the Feast day of First Catholic Christian Martyr St Stephen - Pray for us.

WONDERFUL TRUTH - JESUS ALIVE and PRESENT in the Holy Eucharist

Testimony of Fr Paresh Parmar given at First Friday Gathering - Tabor Ashram

Fr. Paresh Parmar, Gujarat (Ahmedabad diocese)

Brief Background

I am a Gujarati, from Bombay. Though my forefathers hail from Gujarat, we have settled down in Bombay since last two generations. We converted to Catholicism since the last two generations only, as the church of Gujarat is 114 years old..
I was born and brought up in Bombay. My daddy expired when I was in 9th std. Being the youngest of six brothers and sisters, I was showered with a lot of love and care. 

Fr Paresh Parmar - center

I joined the Engineering College (Production Engineering) soon after my 12th std. I was elected as the General Secretary of the college. I was into blood donations and was also involved in other social work in hospitals and other public centers. When once I visited TATA hospital I met a little 11yr old girl suffering from leukemia. Her parents were finding it difficult to get blood donors for her. In Bombay there are several such families begging to the doctors for the life of their babies. 

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Paresh experiences the fact of earthly life - Death is inevitable

I decided to help this little girl. We had a big group of blood donors. I also arranged for the treatment expense. Though we tried our best to save her life she died in 6 months. This death had its effect on me and my perspective about life changed. My dream was to become successful person, go abroad and work but suddenly, I saw that nothing or no one can stop prevent death, no matter how much money you have!

Desire gets Deeper to know God

I started asking God 'why do you allow so much suffering? Why do you allow people to cry?' I wanted to experience God if He really existed and my search for God began.
 

I was just a routine church- goer. During those days I got my hand on a philosophical book by Swami Vivekananda. I found it interesting. I read all the volumes of the books by Swami Vivekananda. Somehow I felt that we can never encounter God at home. One needs to renounce the world. Thus, with little or no faith in Jesus, I went to Gujarat to become a priest. I spent a year there but I was not happy. I left the place and retuned back to Bombay.
 

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Initial seminary life is dry and deserted - no God felt

Even though I tried to become a priest I couldn't experience God. As soon as I left the seminary my brothers and sisters-in-law wanted me to get married. I was not ready for marriage and so finally I reached a decision to open a factory in Bombay. However even this did not give me any satisfaction instead my desire to experience God grew stronger. Not knowing what to do I started visiting famous Swamis and Gurus all over India. I visited many Ashrams. I met preachers of different communities. 

Paresh stops going to Church, visits Hindu temples

Every Monday I used to go to Shiv Temple, Tuesday - Friday I went to Kali and Durga devi temple and Saturdays to Hanuman temple. I used to get up at 3:30 a.m , have a cold water dip, do kriya yoga etc. although I was a catholic I completely stopped going to Church. Some of India's famous Swamis used to come to my house and take me with them to their ashrams.I used to go with them to the jungles and stay for 10-15 days with them.
 

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Attains Psychic powers through Yoga

Because of my yoga practices, I started getting some psychic gifts But my Hindu guru's kept telling me that if I get stuck with the spiritual gifts, then I will not be able to experience the 'giver of the gifts, i.e. God. So I continued in my search for God. I was looking for a Guru who would accept me as his disciple. A well known Hath-Yogi from Malad, Bombay had told me several times that Jesus is my Guru and that I have to become a priest. My mom began to get worried about me seeing me running after so many gurus.

 

Mantra from the Hindu Guru - but emptiness still felt

A 108 year old guru from a village called Zarap, near Sawantwadi [Maharashtra], gave me a guru mantra (a chant) and asked me to recite and see its power. I started reciting the mantra. I was very happy and recited that mantra religiously. I had already spent two and a half years since I had left my seminary and seeking God following the Hindu guru's. Nothing seemed to be happening. Infact I was experiencing some sort of turmoil within me.

 

Fr Paresh Parmar

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Attends a Catholic parish prayer meeting

On 7th of June, 1994 I was out for an evening walk and was passing through my parish church (St. Teresa's Church) in Bandra (Mumbai, India). I saw the board 'Jesus heals'. A force dragged me into the Church. I was not aware of the charismatic movement at that time. When I entered I noticed that Fr. Joe Santiago from Poona Diocese was conducting the prayer services. People were screaming on the top of their voices shouting 'Alleluia' before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. I found all this a bit funny. I found myself misplaced there and was just waiting for this prayer service to get over so that I could get out of all that madness.
 

Jesus Reveals Himself to Paresh Parmar from the Blessed Scarament of the Holy Eucharist

At 9 pm, the priest asked all of us to stand up and pray so that the Lord may touch us. I too got up casually looking all around with curiosity. And lo... what happens....Suddenly I saw a ball of light on the altar. The light entered into my heart and I fell down. I was embraced and engulfed with that light. I instantly recognized the light. HE WAS JESUS. 

Jesus was right in front of me. I could hear His voice saying "I am the Master you are looking for. I have a plan for you to become a priest; go to Gujarat and I have a plan for you there". I could experience the light for 10 minutes. I could experience a power entering my body and another power leaving my body. I was getting transformed. Like 'Saul was becoming Paul'. 

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JESUS gives Paresh the gifts of tongues and healing

 

After the prayers I found myself a changed person. I came home and for the first time in my life I started reading Bible with devotion. I miraculously came in touch with my college friend Ralph, who was into healing ministry. I joined his prayer group and there I received the gift of tongues and the gift of healing.
 

Paresh joins seminary and is ordained a Catholic Priest - as commanded by the Lord Jesus

Having confirmed Gods call, I left my home once again to join priesthood. I went to Gujarat and met the Bishop of Ahmedabad and he accepted me in his diocese. I was 28 years old when I joined. And today, I am 40, and have completed 4...years of my priesthood and I continue to serve our LORD in His vineyard. Praise the Lord. Many are the wonders he has worked in my life thereafter and continues to work everyday of my life. Today I am convinced beyond any doubt that our Lord is the true God and also the only living God. Thank you Jesus Praise you Jesus.

 

Seeking stops at Lord Jesus Christ - The Way, The Truth, The Life

I would like to conclude my testimony by stating that if any of you are searching for the one true living God then it stops at Jesus. I have been through the arduous path and convinced myself beyond any doubt.
  

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"As a man must be born before he can begin to lead his physical life, so he must be born to lead a Divine Life. That birth occurs in the Sacrament of Baptism. To survive, he must be nourished by Divine Life; that is done in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist."

- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen